We recently took our daughter to London for the first time and the Paddington Afternoon Tea bus felt like a great way to see the sights without having to do too much walking while also getting to enjoy a delicious afternoon tea.

Here’s our review of the Paddington Afternoon Tea Bus which Bridgets Bakery runs.

The Paddington Afternoon Tea bus appealed to us for several reasons.

Firstly, our little girl loves Paddington Bear, and to be fair, the two Paddington films are excellent family viewing.

Secondly, although it would have been cheaper to catch a regular bus and jump on and off, we don’t know London well.

We needed a tour guide!

And, at only five, we wanted to save our daughter’s legs where we could as she would already be doing lots of walking on other parts of our trip.

Paddington Bear Afternoon Tea Bus Review

We booked the Paddington Bear Afternoon Tea well in advance of our trip to London, as I wanted to make sure we got seats on the top deck.

While the price seems a little expensive, I think you are paying for the experience, the theming (which was excellent), and the food.

Of course, there are cheaper afternoon teas in London, but as this was a special trip we didn’t mind splashing out on something we hoped would be extra special.

Bridgits Bakery recommends arriving around fifteen minutes before your tour is due to leave. I added a bit extra as I was worried about finding the correct location.

However, I needn’t have worried! The was pulled up outside number 8 Northumberland Avenue and was very easy to find.

A staff member checked off guests as we arrived and we could see others onboard preparing our afternoon tea. Just before our set-off time of 1.45 pm we were allowed onto the bus to find our seats.

I was concerned it might feel cramped on the bus but there was plenty of room and the seats were very comfortable (they need to be as it is a little bit of a bumpy ride!)

Paddington Afternoon Tea Bus – The Tour Experience

The bus takes you on a tour of London where you can see many of the famous sites, including Hyde Park Corner, The Ritz Hotel, The Shard, Tower Bridge, HMS Belfast, The Tate Modern, The London Eye, Big Ben, and Downing Street as well as many others.

On each table, there is a screen where you can see the bus’s location and which landmarks are coming up next. Mrs Brown and Paddington both pop up on the screen with text asking about what you can see.

There is also a voice-over played on the bus where Mrs Brown and Paddington talk about each site as you pass by. This was a little tricky to hear at times due to traffic noise from outside but I wouldn’t have wanted it any louder or to use headphones.

Joanna was the host on our bus and she came round and hosted a Paddington Quiz while we were travelling between some of the sights. Our daughter loved this and was beaming when she got the answers right. Joanna also did a great job of making sure each child got a turn to answer.

There was also some background music playing a range of what I would call ‘party hits’. Think Take That, One Direction, Elton John etc. This created a fantastic atmosphere and I enjoyed having a bit of a bop!

Just so you’re aware, the tour bus does not go past Buckingham Palace or anywhere near Paddington Station.

Paddington Afternoon Tea Bus – The Food

Unfortunately, the food is what lets this experience down.

Almost all of our sandwiches had stale bread.

Whether the sandwiches had been left out too long before we arrived or not covered properly when made earlier in the day, I’m not sure, but the only thing I could eat was the salmon roll.

I chose not to complain, mostly because we were having a lovely time and I didn’t think the staff would be able to make fresh sandwiches in the middle of London!

I do think the selection of sandwiches on offer isn’t particularly child-friendly, with the only plain(ish) option being a marmalade sandwich.

I understand there are plenty of children who will eat smoked salmon etc but as this is an experience aimed at children, I think the addition of a plain cheese or ham sandwich would be an easy improvement, especially considering the price.

Sadly, the Paddington Paw print biscuit was stale so none of us ate it. While I don’t always love the idea of more plastic, in this case, I think the biscuits would be better if they came wrapped to help keep them fresh.

The cake selection is good and overall the Lemon Meringue pie was my favourite while my daughter enjoyed the chocolate cupcake. The rice pudding was also nice, the macarons were average with a very odd claggy filling.

The best part of the food by far was the scones (served with little pots of jam, and clotted cream), which were delicious and we absolutely couldn’t fault them.

We would have all loved an extra scone, probably because we were still hungry having not eaten any of the sandwiches!

Finally, the drinks menu offers a range of hot and cold drinks but doesn’t include any fizzy and you’ll pay extra for premium items such as prosecco.

We chose apple juice and coffee served in a reusable Paddington cup (which you get to keep at the end of the tour).

Our daughter ordered water as that’s all she drinks and for some reason, this wasn’t served with a cup and we had to ask for one – she’s five of course she would want a Paddington cup like everyone else!

Drinks are unlimited, but we were only offered a refill once, about ten minutes after the first round had been served, when none of us had finished our first drink.

Staff could do with asking again a bit later on in the tour, especially as guests are not allowed to leave their seats.

Paddington Bear Afternoon Tea Bus Review – Would We Do This Experience Again?

I’m torn on whether we would do this again.

The tour aspect of the experience was fantastic.

The hosting was great, we enjoyed seeing all the sights, and the bus was comfortable and well-ventilated ( I was worried we’d be hot as it was a lovely sunny day, but fans on board meant it was nice and cool).

We liked the Paddington Bear theming and quiz – it’s such a fun and unique way to experience London.

However, the food was very disappointing, and it was a lot of money to spend when my husband and daughter ate very little.

I think if the menu were improved, then it would be a definite yes. 

How Much Does The Paddington Bear Afternoon Tea Bus Tour Cost?

Prices for the Paddington tour bus and afternoon tea start from £45 for an adult and £35 for a child (low season, midweek) and can be as much as £75 for VIP seats. You can book here.

We paid £65 per adult and £55 for a child for a Saturday in May, sitting on the top deck.

Paddington Bear Afternoon Tea – A Few Things You Need To Know

Here are a few things that might help if you are planning to book the Paddington Bear afternoon tea tour bus.

There is no toilet on board – so make sure you use the bathroom before heading to the bus. We used the loos in Trafalgar Square, which is a few minutes walk away (make sure you have a few 20ps handy!).

The bus leaves very promptly – so it’s worth arriving a bit earlier, especially if you want to take some pictures with the bus before getting on. The tour takes around 1 hour and 45 minutes and we arrived back at Northumberland Avenue right on time.

Tickets sell out fast – it’s worth booking as far in advance as possible, especially if you want to be on the top deck.

Not suitable for under fives – this experience isn’t suitable for under fives, however, the same company also run a Peppa Pig tour which has a lower age limit.

No Smoking/Vaping – This should be a given, but there is no smoking or vaping allowed on the bus. Many tour and coach companies now use vape detectors so it’s not even worth risking a sneaky puff.

Paddington Bear Afternoon Tea Bus Review – Final Thoughts

Overall I am glad we did the Paddington Afternoon tea tour, despite the food not being quite up to scratch.

It was one of the main things we did while in London and we came away feeling like we’d had a really fun and memorable experience. We didn’t feel like it was a waste of money, and of course, the main thing was that our little girl enjoyed it!